Air Corps Completes Three Air Ambulance Missions.

he Air Corps successfully completed their first three air ambulance missions of 2012 today, 06 Jan.

The first air ambulance was completed by the CASA fixed wing aircraft, which travelled to London, with a HSE team to meet a patient and transport them back to Dublin. The CASA returned to Casement Aerodrome at 3pm.

The second air ambulance of the day was completed by the Learjet fixed wing aircraft which transported a patient and HSE team from Casement Aerodrome to RAF Northolt for onward road transport to a London Hospital. This mission was successfully completed at 3.30pm when the Learjet landed at RAF Northolt.

The third air ambulance was completed by an AW139 helicopter which transported a HSE team from Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, to Tralee and returned with a patient for Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. This mission was completed at 6.45pm when the helicopter landed at Casement Aerodrome, the patient is being moved by road to hospital. This final mission had to be completed with the aid of night vision goggles as the flight carried on into the hours of darkness.

Due to the number of ongoing air ambulance operations today, the Air Corps placed an additional fourth crew on standby to cover further missions.

The Air Corps provide air ambulance standby crew on both fixed wing and rotary wing on call 24/7 in order to provide a national and international air ambulance service to the HSE.

Air Corps pilots are the only pilots within the state who have the capability to fly using night vision goggles.